Overcoming Some Obstacles of Teaching English as Foreign Language

 

Learning English as second language nor foreign language would never be easy to practice. The learners who are able to master completely for foreign language should have strong will. Without this, it would become harder and harder. Thus, as a person who teaches English Language Teaching, all aspects that support learning progress including interpersonal and intrapersonal motivation, should effortfully concern about this.

English, with no doubt is a significant language which is needed to master for today’s global era. Almost every sector of life needs a language to communicate. As an international language, English offers all people to connect one each other globally. With social media which can reach all people around the world, an Indonesian may connect to people abroad and vice versa. By those good and cooperative relation, it may connect to business for all aspects, including economy, education, business, technology and others. Thus, mastery English is truly crucial to upgrade life globally.

Research show that learning English motivation for elementary school, junior high school and senior high school in rural area are still low. Most of students who think that English is difficult said that they do not understand about the materials given by their teachers at school. Mostly stated that they have no idea about what is written at text books. It shows that students had lack of vocabulary mastery, that drove them to blank about what is written at the text books.

For students who learn a lot of subjects and materials on a week, it is not easy to practice. They have no focus to master, yet have a chance only see the surface of all subjects. For teachers, teaching students in big class and crowd is not easy too. Moreover, the teachers need to pass the given materials given by government. They, both the students and the teachers have difficulties on all sides. However, the teacher needs to overcome this kind of problem to reach the goals and objectives of learning.

According to my experience of teaching all grades, including elementary school, junior high school and senior high school students, the first thing I emphasize myself is, to make sure that I am not the one who makes them, my students, being traumatic to English. Thus, my approach was to create fun and joyful atmosphere in class. If they had been relaxed with my presence, the further materials I gave to them was effective enough to absorb. Next, I tried to find the most appropriate teaching method to apply. Different classes need different method to implement. As the teacher, I also should make sure that the method I implement is suitable to the students’ condition. Besides, I asked my students to have my contact. My aim is to make sure we keep in touch one each other, and if they have some problems, I welcome them to ask. If I am available, I will answer their questions.

Winning students’ heart is my concern when I started myself as the teacher of English. Learning English as foreign language is not easy, I know it well, thus my principle is to make sure that my students enjoy my class. I experienced this difficulty when I was at elementary school student. I had got zero point for my English task, meanwhile my scores for other subjects were high enough to achieve second rank in class. My parents on poor condition that made me had no chance to take English course outside. Thus, I only tried to absorb what was given by the teacher. I do not blame my teacher was not good enough to teach. Teaching young learners really needs a lot of struggles, I exactly understand this. However, I did not enjoy the class, I cannot understand how hard I tried, because foreign language is really new for me as a young learner. By this, by having a chance to teach foreign language, the principle I held is based on the experience I got as a student and a teacher. Hopefully, all the students who I have taught, had good experience in learning English, moreover, inspiring them to take this course and following my path as English teaching to teach broader students of Indonesian.